"Ah...!"
Yugo’s eyes widened, a groan escaping his lips as he processed the answer. It was so incredibly simple that he had completely overlooked it.
Even in the Nichiasa shows he adored, there was a certain "World Traveler and Destroyer" who journeyed across infinite realms, and a "Full Force Full Power!" Sentai that battled an Evil Organization capable of sealing away countless worlds.
The moment he had confirmed the existence of this other world, he should have realized there was no reason to assume there were only two. Zenon seemed equally stunned, his voice trailing off in a daze.
"Of course...! That explains why the Flame of Judgment didn't flag Yugo as a Reincarnator! To be precise, that Magic Item wasn't designed to detect just any Reincarnator. It was meant to find people from our world—let's call it World A. It makes perfect sense that it wouldn't react to Yugo, who comes from a completely different World B!"
In Yugo's original world, Luminous History didn't exist. By the same token, the Hero Programs known as Nichiasa didn't exist in Zenon's world.
Their origins were almost certainly distinct. That fundamental difference was the reason Yugo had managed to slip through the Selection performed by the Flame of Judgment.
However, as soon as that fact was established, a new set of questions surfaced. Claire and Yui voiced their concerns.
"Dogma's Group, the architects of this plan, knew everything from the start," Claire noted. "It is only logical to assume they have known for quite some time the truth we have only just discovered—including the fact that Yugo-sama is a possession-type Reincarnator from another world."
"If that’s true, when exactly did they find out?" Yui wondered, her expression clouded with doubt. "And more importantly, how did they learn about Reincarnators in the first place? How did they know Yugo-sama and the others were from different earths?"
Zenon turned to him. "Yugo, have you ever mentioned this to anyone besides the people in this room?"
"No, never. But... at the very least, the Masterminds must have realized the truth back during the Demonic Sword incident with Isaac and Neid."
As he answered Zenon, Yugo recalled his conversation with Lost right after that battle. Lost, one of the central figures behind the scenes, had addressed him as Yugo Kurei the moment Neid was defeated. Even back then, the enemy knew his true name.
But Yugo had never breathed a word of it to anyone. Even if he had somehow betrayed the fact that he was a reincarnated soul, there was no logical way for them to know that the person inside was a Hero Otaku named Yugo Kurei.
Given that Lost had correctly identified him by name, Yugo was certain the Masterminds had been in possession of almost all the facts from the very beginning. He shared this realization with his companions, but their line of reasoning hit a dead end.
"I don't know anything beyond that," Yugo admitted. "I don't have the faintest clue how that guy Lost found out about me."
"The most obvious theory is that they’re connected to whoever reincarnated us," Zenon suggested. "But then why use such a convoluted method to eliminate us? If they have the power to move souls between worlds, surely they have the power to simply delete us."
Nothing made sense—not their motives, nor their methods of gathering information. The possibilities Zenon raised didn't quite fit the reality of their situation, and the group lacked the missing pieces of the puzzle to reach a definitive answer.
As the conversation lulled, Ryuga, who had remained quiet until then, finally spoke up.
"However, we have confirmed one vital thing. To the Masterminds, Yugo is a total Irregular. That is why they have singled you out, going so far as to orchestrate this massive, elaborate plan just to break you."
"Since the way he was brought here seems different from how Zenon-san and the others arrived, that seems very likely," Yui agreed.
"Yugo-sama never met the Goddess," Claire added. "He was summoned to this world by some other force. Who that was and what they intended remains a troubling mystery..."
"We'll find the answers with Dogma's Group," Yugo said, clenching his fist. "To get the truth, and to save our friends and Luminous Academy, we absolutely cannot lose to them!"
The unknowns were vast, but the path to the answers lay directly in front of them. If they could defeat Dogma and her cohorts and take them into custody, they could force them to divulge everything the Mastermind Side was hiding.
Yugo felt the weight of another reason to win, and his companions nodded in silent agreement. Suddenly, a familiar voice drifted into the cave from the world outside.
"What's that? I hear something..."
"That's... Dogma's voice!?" Claire gasped, her hand flying to her mouth in surprise.
Sensing no one actually entering their hideout, the group remained on high alert as they cautiously stepped outside to investigate.
Led by Ryuga, the group emerged from the cave, only to stand frozen in shock at the sight before them. High in the sky, a Giant Dogma hovered over the island, her form shimmering like a massive Hologram Image.